THE APRON GAL

This post is sponsored by LTD Commodities but keep reading for Thanksgiving table ideas and a chance to win some of the beautiful items pictured!  

I'm so excited for Thanksgiving this year because it's my first time to truly have my own family's Thanksgiving! We are usually with our parents or extended family but this time it's just us and we are staying in town! Since a bunch of our friends are also in town and "family-less" we are having a big "Friends-giving" and I couldn't be more excited.

One of my best friends usually hosts but I wanted to be involved and I had the perfect idea! I could decorate the tables and that would take the stress off of her for having a clean house, making the turkey AND doing the tables. She lovingly agreed to let my creative juices flow!

A few notes about my setup above:

• Show off the table
• Since I have a beautiful wood table that I inherited from my grandmother I prefer for more formal gatherings (with adults) to not use a tablecloth. It lets the beautiful wood show through and I trust adults to not drag things across the table and damage it. 
• Easy cleanup
•  I know for my Thanksgiving crew we will be using paper goods-it will make for easier cleanup and since I'm not hosting at my own home, I wouldn't want to drag all my dishes over anyways! (If you find this to be a faux pas, see my other table decorating options below!) You could also use just plain colored paper plates. Definitely plan for larger plates since it's such a big meal and for a separate dessert plate! 
• Varied decor
• Using different colors, textures and styles on your table makes it so much more pleasing to the eye! I love these antiqued glass pumpkins because they light up and add such a nice formal element to the table. But I also love using fresh gourds because they are inexpensive and add fun colors and textures also. Look for those at the pumpkin patch (my local one gave them to me for free!) or at the grocery store. 
• Get creative
• Use items in different ways that you think! These pumpkin side dishes can be used for food items like cranberry sauce, pickles or onions, or fill them with sand or vase filler and add candles for a more elegant affair. You could also do the same thing with real pumpkins if you are dedicated enough to hollow them out! The possibilities are endless! For more easy ideas visit LTD Commodities for how to spice up your table and home! 
• Get crafty
• I love the look of spray painting pumpkins and pinecones seen over at Merrick's Art. Or use corn kernels to fill up vases and then add candles as seen over at Designing, Dining and Diapers. 

Important tips for your Thanksgiving table no matter how you decorate:

• Keep decorations a reasonable height
• Make sure decorations aren't so tall that people can't talk across the table comfortably. Or if you prefer large arrangements, leave them for decoration and then remove them for eating. This lighted arrangement is beautiful but not overwhelming. I would still probably remove it once people began eating if it was in the way. 
• Stock the table
• Don't forget to add salt and pepper shakers (these owl ones are too cute!) as well as butter  and gravy to the table to help people avoid having to get up from the table for those little things. 
• Less is more
• A festive decorated table helps make the holiday feel so exciting but make sure guests aren't overwhelemed with so much stuff on the table that it's hard to reach their glasses or silverware! No one wants to be bumping into their neighbors while eating because they are squished.